Kemi Badenoch, leader of Britain’s Conservative Party since 2024, addressed her party’s annual conference in Birmingham amid ongoing challenges within the political right. Despite her rising personal popularity, the Conservatives remain behind both the governing Labour Party and the right-wing Reform U.K. party in recent opinion polls.

Since taking over the leadership after the party’s heavy general election loss in 2024, Badenoch has sought to consolidate her control over the Conservatives. However, surveys suggest that the party’s overall standing with voters has not improved substantially, placing them behind Labour, which is currently led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and Reform U.K., led by Nigel Farage. Reform U.K. holds roughly 22 percent support, about five points above the Conservatives, despite ongoing scrutiny related to Farage’s finances and those of his party.

Political analysts say the divisions on the right could benefit Labour in a general election, which must be held by 2029 but could be called earlier. Tim Bale, a politics professor at Queen Mary University of London, noted that Farage continues to hope he can undermine the Conservatives, while Badenoch resists making electoral deals with Reform U.K. before an election.

In her conference speech, Badenoch explicitly rejected forming a pact with Reform U.K., citing ongoing police investigations into the party’s financial affairs. “To those who say ‘unite the right,’ we are not uniting with that,” she declared. Badenoch also spoke against racist sentiments targeting her family, specifically addressing questions about her mixed-race children’s English identity amid an ongoing debate following comments by Suella Braverman, a Reform lawmaker and former Conservative. Braverman, born in England to immigrant parents, had sparked controversy by stating she did not consider herself English, framing Englishness as an ethnicity rather than nationality.

While drawing a line against Reform U.K. politically, Badenoch attempted to attract some of its supporters by endorsing tougher policies on migration, welfare cuts, and easing climate change commitments. She emphasized a return to lower taxes and reduced government involvement, contrasting the party’s approach with Labour’s spending policies. Badenoch also promised to lower inheritance tax, a measure with strong public backing despite affecting a small proportion of taxpayers.

The conference atmosphere was generally positive despite the party’s stagnant polling. Among the event’s displays was a satirical “Birmingham Tapestry” mocking political opponents, including Farage, depicted as a tantrum-throwing infant in reference to his reaction to a parliamentary probe into a controversial donation. Badenoch is portrayed as a triumphant leader in the same tapestry and has outlined her political vision in a 30,000-word document she calls “Kemistry.”

Some Conservatives express hope that Farage’s difficulties will persist and that Labour’s popularity will wane as economic pressures mount, positioning the Conservatives as a viable alternative in future elections. Others within the party urge closer attention to online discourse among Reform and other far-right supporters, seeking to channel that energy constructively. Lucy Harris, a former Conservative MEP who once represented Farage’s Brexit Party, stressed the importance of engaging with these conversations to the party’s advantage.

Badenoch’s rightward policy shift, aimed at regaining Reform voters, risks alienating more centrist Conservatives, some of whom have migrated to the Liberal Democrats. Reform U.K. has also benefited by attracting former Conservative figures, including Robert Jenrick, a previous leadership rival who defected earlier this year.

Relations between senior Conservatives and Reform U.K. remain tense, making an alliance unlikely at present. Yet analysts note that the political calculus could change if a future election presents the possibility of a combined majority for the two parties, potentially paving the way for cooperation ahead of or after the vote.